Boat mooring assembly



Aug 5, 195s J. P. JORGENSON 2,845,892

BOAT MooRING ASSEMBLY Filed Dem 17, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 ZZZJ 27 AT TORNE YS AU8- 5, 1958 J. P. JoRGENsoN 2,845,892

BOAT MooRING ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 17, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 /VLWIZVENTOR.

mma@ *mand ATTORNEYS United States Patent BOATMOGRING ASSEMBLY Johnui. JorgensomiFort Lauderdale,-Fla.A

Application December 17, 1954, Serial Nof475,'99.0

10.Claims; (Cl.l114230) .This r invention relates :to improvements iny :boat tmoor tingV assemblages, and-more particularly toianizautomatie boat mooring assemblage.

[Asprimary object-of the invention .iistoprovide 'aib'oat :mooring assemblage which -will simplify thezoperation .of-navigating a boat into oraway from ,a-wharf or ,dock andi-.ofsuch'character as-to preclude `the danger-ofthe boat sinking whilef docked and stabilizinggthe boatragainst `V:the possibili-ty of beingdamaged by wave action :while it person seated Yin the navigators stationv in` the boat; which, .when engaged,y maintains `the boat in asafe position" relativel to aidock or pier; which is relatively inexpensive, and which is well adapted'for thepurposes described.

"With the above andlotherobjects in view, theinven.- tion' consists of'the improved automatic boatmooringas.- 'semblage and .itspartsand combinations as setlforthin the claims, and l all equivalents thereof.

Inthe accompanying Vdrawings'in which thesamerefer encefcliaracters indicate the same` parts vin all of. the views:

Fig; l: is a fragmentary .plan view of a motor boat ap"- pr'oaeh'ing a wharf, the boat'and wharfV being equipped with theimprovedboat mooring assemblage, `partsbeing vin sectionto show structural details,` the sectional.show ing'of the wharf or dock mounted elements of themooring' assemblage beingtaken approximately on Vthe ,line '1'-1of`Fig. 2;

VFig. 2 is an end view of a* vertical mooringelement carried by yadock or pier;

"Fig 3 isa side view of theboat carried rear' engaging latch' ofthe 'mooring assemblage, there being a broken line showingof thesame in its open position;

`Figi 4 is-a plan View o'f the rear engaging latch;l

Figi 5' is an end view-thereof taken approximately on theli'ne 5--5 O``Fig. 4;

-1?ig;i6isla` plan view of the front engaging latch'of the boat mooring assemblage with a broken line showing of the samev in open position;

Fig 7 is aside View thereof; and

2,845,892 VPatented lAug, 5, l1958 Fig. 8 isf-an end view of the front engaging-latch, with -part broken away.

The relationship of the component Yparts -ofthe im- -proved' boat mooring assemblage isbest shown 'int-Fig; 1

and comprisesone or more pairs of boat-'carried engaging latches and a pair of spaced apart vertically disposed mooring cables and supporting elements-therefor.

The improved boat'mooring assemblage iinds its greatest:ntilityhineonnection with a motorboat of the pleasure craft type-which is brought into and'away from a-moor ing position ata dock or wharf under its own `powerwhich is iusually-a problem fortheI unskilled navigator, vparticu- 'larlyfiif'fthere-aisfacurrent, wind, or turbulentlwater:

vlrslwill appearJfromfFig. llthereis `secureditoA abside portion of thefboat toward thestern ythereof"a.rearrnoor ing'. cablei engaging latch indicated generally by the numeral .510'` ThereI-is :also secured fto the same side Adi ithe boat ltowardv the". "bow a. front" mooring cable engaging latch: indicated generallyvby the numeral 11. Thefsame :Sidefofzthe boat.

.A.wharf, doclcorthelike. is .indicated generally by the inumeralfl `and onzth'e; sideof 'thesamefacingth'ewater or-isl-ip yin'avhich e the motorboat. to' betmoore'd is P directed,

are -a pairof holders, asy for example, verticallmetallic 1U `beamszf13rand 13 anch-oredito-^a2vertical 'portiomo'f |the .pieror-Wharfsfll:bymeansfofbolts 154,A The2 Ubeams 1,13 and 13'orathev1ike carriedfby the-.wharf 12farespaced apart;a-distancefcorresponding.tofthe spacing. between the `cable receiving,l latch `openings in .the boatcarried'latch :elements 10-fand 1:11. The upper. andilowersextremiti'sof eachU,-'beam.13rand 134 carry integral. horizontal-outwardly ,directedplates 15 and `16 which yhave'passed through apertures-.therein securing means such I as i eyed :bolts :17 and 118:'engaged vby the 1opposite1ends :offvertical mooring cables'19: Thenppermost,eyedLboltsf/l?l Ina-y have portions of. their Shanks surrounded by conii'ned coiled springsz whereby afpulleonsthe :ea'bles' 19-*wi'll permit the sameto yield by; compressioniofthefsprings `20, butisaid :springs may be eliminated, if: desired.

As was Aheretofore mentioned, eac-h side .of .lthefaboat may .have secured. thereto,-towardthe Astern portion, :a

'rearmooring cable. engaging latch 10 which zisfaapted,

fory iboat mooring, purposes, .to engage the vertical vcable .19 supportedsoutwardly of -such:portion of the l.vv-harf-or .dockv` 12.1aterally ofi the stern portionofzthe boat when the .boatis in itsnioored position.. `Said rcari mooring cable `engaging latch- 10- is shown -in detail inix-Eigsx,

4 andi and will berseen .to include an-,eccentricallyshaped fixed plate 21 secured to a rear sidefpo'rtionrof'the boat by b olts 22. Toward. ,the-outerrsideeof saidrfxedtplate .2'1is accable receiving recess .23 atoppo-siterendsirof which and. laterally offset frorneach othertgareflatchzend receiving; recesses .24 and. 25. The. tail :end: of raiz-shaped .latch `plate26ismounted: within the-fixed latch plate recess `2'4-.t`ast on atransverse shaft 27i-Which'isijournalled through V`the adjacent portionsof the fixed plateifZluand .the 4sidefpo/rtionof thek boat,` the.4 innen end portion i ofrsaid vof'lodges ,within thexedplatefrecess 25 andfcloseshe latch recess 23,

It will be understood that when the stern of the boat is being swung toward the rear mooring cable on the wharf (after the front of the boat has been moored) the rear latch will be opened as in Fig. 1 and when the cable 19 engages in the latch recess 23 the cable 29 will be pulled to swing the latch plate 26 in a vertical plane to close the latch and thus conline the cable 19 in the rear latch closed recess 23, thereby securing the stern portion of the boat to the rear mooring cable 19. The forward projection 30 on the latch plate 26 has a transverse opening therein registering with transverse openings 31 in the fixed plate 21 and side portion of the boat through which a headed locking pin 32 may be inserted to retain the latch plate 26 in its closed position.

The front mooring cable engaging latch, indicated generally by the numeral 11, is shown in detail in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 and it likewise comprises an eccentrically shaped fixed plate 33 secured to a side portion of the boat, toward the bow thereof, by bolts 34. Within the rear side portion of the xed plate 33 there is a recess 35 which accommodates a pulley 36 mounted fast on the barrel portion of a revoluble latch dog 37 which is journalled in a bearing boss portion 38 formed therefor in a side portion of the fixed plate 33 adjacent the pulley recess 35. Beyond the bearing boss portion 38 the xed plate 33 is stepped inwardly to provide a cable receiving recess 39. The portion of the latch dog 37 beyond the bearing boss 38 is shouldered, angled and reduced so that when it is revolved on its horizontal axis longitudinally of the plate 33, it can be moved from the recess closing full line position of Fig. 6 to the open broken line position of Fig. 6, turning through an angle of approximately 180. In the open position of the latch dog 37 it, in cooperation with the face of the xed plate 33 forwardly of the opening 39, forms a funnel-shaped entrance so that as the boat is brought toward the front mooring cable 19, said cable will be thereby guided into the recess 39. The latch dog 37 is operated by a front latch operating cable 40 which is secured about the pulley 36 so that a pull on one outward extent of the cable 40 will rotate the latch dog to open position while a reverse pull on the cable will rotate the latch dog 37 to its closed position wherein the engaged mooring cable 19 will be confined within the latch recess 39.

As is best shown in Fig. 8, the inner end of the stern of the latch dog 37 operates within a recess 41 within the end of the fixed latch plate 33 and carries a rotatable stop segment 42 which is contactable with either end of a longer iixed stop segment 43, which arrangement limits the rotation of the rotatable latch dog 37 in either its open or closed position. In the closed position of the latch dog 37 it may be held to the adjacent portion of the fixed plate 33 by a frictional locking pin 44 inserted through registering openings in the wall plate 33 and latch dog protuberance 45.

The manner in which the improved boat mooring assemblage operates is, no doubt, clear from the preceding descriptive matter. However, from Fig l it will be observed that for docking and mooring purposes the motorboat is slowly propelled into position adjacent a side of the wharf or pier at a slight angle. Preparatory to mooring the boat the navigaton, while in his normal position, may manually pull proper portions of the cables 29 and 40 to cause the latch dog 37 and the latch plate 26 to be turned to their open, recess exposing positions, as in Fig. 1. Then, the boat is so manipulated as to cause the front vertical mooring cable 19 to enter the recess 39 of the front engaging latch 11, following which the cable 40 is easily manipulated to swing the latch dog 37 to its closed position, whereupon the front side portion of the boat is securely engaged with the front mooring cable 19. Thereafter, the boat is so manipulated as to cause its stern to swing sidewise toward the rear mooring cable 19 to enter the latter into the rear engaging latch recess 23, following which the cable 29 is manipulated to cause the rear latch plate 30 to swing to its closed position of Fig. 4, with the result that the boat is then, through an easy operation, securely held by the mooring cables 19. Due to the fact that the cables extend vertically through the front and rear er1- gaging latches, the moored boat can adapt itself to the water level and cannot sink while docked, and it is also held snugly but slightly yieldingly against the side of the dock. Not only may the boat be quickly and easily moored without the necessity of help from persons on the wharf, but it is moored in a manner so that the boat is securely and compensatingly held in respect to wave or wind action. In the procedure of navigating the boat away from the dock the reverse operation will be performed. That is to say, the rear side portion of the boat may first be released from the rear mooring cable 19 followed by an opening of the front engaging latch 11 whereupon the boat may be easily backed away from the dock and outwardly. The motorboat operator is always stationed in his normal operating position Within the boat and may easily operate from this position the latch operating cables 29 and 40 which are extended to a convenient position adjacent the operators station.

The improved boat mooring assemblage is simple and susceptible of easy operation, the component elements thereof are easily installed on a boat and dock, and the assemblage is well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

l. In combination, a boat docking structure; a pair of spaced-apart vertical supports anchored thereto, a vertical cable-like mooring element yieldingly mounted on each support; a motorboat having a forward operators station; a stern mooring latch carried by a side portion of the boat adjacent the stern and including a fixed plate formed with shoulders to form a laterally opening recess, a latch dog pivotally carried on a horizontal axis by a rear portion of the lixed plate and movable in a Vertical plane to open and close the lateral entrance to the fixed plate recess; a forward latch including a xed plate anchored to a side portion of the boat adjacent the bow and shouldered to form a rear bearing and a forwardly opening recess, a latch dog mounted in the rear bearing of the last mentioned xed plate for rotation about a horizontal axis and having an offset tapered front extension closing the entrance to said fixed plate recess in one position of the latch dog, the tapered front portion of the latch dog providing a funnel-like guide opening to said xed plate recess by projecting forwardly and outwardly of the xed plate when said latch dog is in another position of rotation; and elongated connections extending from the latch dogs of the stern and forward mooring latches to the operators station in the boat for manual operation of the latch dogs, the distance between the recesses in said stern and forward mooring latches corresponding to the distance between the spaced apart cable-like mooring elements, the latter, when engaged in said latch recesses, holding the boat adjacent the supports but permitting relative vertical movement be tween the latches and the cable-like mooring elements.

2. In combination, a boat docking structure; a pair of spaced, elongated vertical mooring members; means on said docking structure for maintaining said mooring members in horizontally spaced relationship outwardly of said docking structure with part of each mooring member below the water and part above; a boat having a forward operators station; a stern mooring latch carried by a side of the boat adjacent the stern and including a xed plate having a cable-receiving recess providedvwith a side which is open in a laterally outward direction; a shiftable latch element for selectively closing said recess to control lateral entrance thereto; a forward latch including a xed plate anchored to the same side portion of the boat adjacent the bow and having a forwardly opening recess; a shiftable latch element for selectively controlling entrance to said recess, and means 'ais-regatta including; 'elongated connections exte'ndingifrorn both of said shiftable latchingelementstothe' .operators station intheboatfor operating said shiftable latching` elements, th'efhorizontal distance`betwee11" the' recesses inthe' stern forward mooring latches' corresponding to'the'horizo'ntal :distance between th'espaced-'apart ,elongated moorinvglme'mbers, thelatter when engagedin said'latchrecesses lreing` close `to the "boat and holding the" boat 1in mooredipos'ition While permittingrelative vertical lmlovement between Vthe latchesY and the elongated vertical mooring members;

.3. Apparatus for mooring a boatin-a body-of .water c'cinipiisin'g'v a' dock, a vpair 'of horizontally spaced cables, means mounted on said dock for supporting said cables tautly in outwardly spaced relationship to said dock and in positions extending transversely of the surface of said body of Water, a pair of spaced cable coupling members mounted on a side of said boat in a spaced relationship corresponding with the spaced relationship of said cables, each of said cable coupling members including a fixed body portion having a cable receiving recess provided with an open side, and a shiftable latch element for selectively closing said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of the body portion of one of said cable coupling members being directed forwardly of said boat and adapted to receive one of said cables during movement of said boat in a direction having a forward component of movement.

4. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a pair of horizontally spaced cables, means mounted on and extending outwardly from said dock for supporting said cables in outwardly spaced relationship to said dock and in positions extending transversely of the surface of said body of water, a pair of spaced cable coupling members mounted on a side of said boat in a spaced relationship corresponding with the spaced relationship of said cables, each of said cable coupling members including a xed body portion having a cable receiving recess provided with an open side and a shiftable latch element for selectively closing said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of the body portion of one of said cable coupling members being directed forwardly of said boat and adapted to receive one of said cables during movement of said boat in a direction having a forward component of movement, and the open side of said recess of the body portion of the other cable coupling member being directed laterally of said boat and adapted to receive the other of said cables during movement of said boat in a direction having a sidewise component of movement.

5. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a pair of horizontally spaced cables, means mounted on and extending outwardly from said dock for supporting said cables in outwardly spaced relationship to said dock and in positions extending transversely of the surface of said body of water, said cable mounting means including mechanism for retaining said cables under tension between their opposite end portions while permitting a certain amount of give, a pair of spaced cable coupling members mounted on a side of said boat in a spaced relationship corresponding with the spaced relationship of said cables, each of said cable coupling members including a xed body portion having a cable receiving recess provided with an open side and a shiftable latch element for selectively closing said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of the body portion of one of said cable coupling members being directed forwardly of said boat and adapted to receive one of said cables during movement of said boat in a direction having a forward component of movement.

6. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a pair of horizontally spaced cables, means mounted on and extending outwardly from said versely tofithe surface' of sa'inlbodfyy ofi-water; `said cable mounting meansincluding'm'echanism Vfor yieldably *retaining said' cables tensioned"between-locations above and 'adjacent the Vsurface of '-saidibody ofbwaten a-pair of i spaced cable f coupling im'crnb'ers fmounted onV a-side Yof l:sa-id boat 4'in Aal fspaced y'relationship correspondingwith the v spaced lrelations'hip of.. said fcables, -each of-said .cable coupling members including axed body lportion ihaving a cable receiving-recess provided Withauf open :side f and a shiftable latch element forsselectively closing.-said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of the body portion of one of said cable coupling members being directed forwardly of said boat and adapted to receive one of said cables during movement of said boat in a direction having a forward component of movement.

7. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a pair of horizontally spaced cables, means mounted on and extending outwardly from said dock for supporting said cables in outwardly spaced relationship to said dock and in positions extending transversely of the surface of said body of water, a pair of spaced cable coupling members mounted on a side of said boat in a spaced relationship corresponding with the spaced relationship of said cables, each of said cable coupling members including a fixed body portion and extending lengthwise of said boat and having an elongated cable receiving recess and provided with an open side and including a shiftable latch element for closing said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of one of said cable coupling members being directed forwardly of said boat and adapted to receive one of said cables during movement of said boat in a direction having a forward componentof movement, said elongated recesses accommodating free up and down and limited fore and aft movementof said boat on said cables.

8. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a stationary elongated mooring member, means extending outwardly from said dock for supporting said member tautly in outwardly spaced relationship to said dock and in a position extending transversely of the surface of said body of water, a coupling unit mounted on a side of said boat, said coupling unit including a iixed body portion having a recess provided with an open side for receiving said mooring member, and a shiftable latch element for selectively closing said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of said body portion being directed forwardly of said boat for receiving said mooring member during movement of said boat in a direction having a forward component of movement.

9. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a stationary elongated mooring member, means extending outwardly from said dock for supporting said member tautly in outwardlyspaced relationship to said dock and in a position extending transversely of the surface of said body of water, a coupling unit mounted on a side of said boat, said coupling unit including a xed body portion having a recess provided with an open side for receiving said mooring member, and a shiftable latch element for selectively closing said open side of said recess, the open side of said recess of said body portion being directed laterally of said boat for receiving said mooring member during movement of said boat in a direction having a lateral component of movement.

10. Apparatus for mooring a boat in a body of water comprising a dock, a pair of horizontally spaced stationary elongated mooring members, means extending outwardly from said dock for supporting said members in outwardly spaced relationship to said dock and in 7 8 positions extending transversely of the surface of said References Cited inthe le of this patent bcdy cff vvte, pai'lt'1 of collpling ntnits nonntleddon a lUNHED STATES PATENTS s1 e o sai oa, sai coup ng ums eac 1ncu mg a Y fixed body portion having a recess provided with an open yerson et al "APIZ side for receiving a mooring member close to the side 5 1 913830 Clmpsgnu I ov 13 1933 of the boat, and a shiftable latch element for selectively 2433858 Mamp e Ine 6 1948 closing said open side of the recess of each of said cou- 2447945 Knaxson an' owler Aug. 24, 1948 pllng umts respectlvely, and control mechanism for sald 2 565 580 Th A 28 1951 latch elements extending from each of said coupling OSS ug' 10 2,697,410 Anschutz Dec. 21, 1954 umts to a common locatlon remote from said couplmg units for selectively operating the latch element of each FOREIGN PATENTS coupling unit respectively. 528,570 France Aug. 20, 1921 

